Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Sinn Féin councillor Fiona Kerins has welcomed Cork City Council’s endorsement last night of a motion she put forward calling on the government not to cut social welfare payments in the budget.

Cllr Kerins said:

“The most vulnerable people in our society should not be asked to pay the costs of bailing out the banks. While the government is planning €3.8 billion in cuts in this year’s budget, it handed over €750 million to bondholders at Anglo-Irish Bank just three weeks ago.”

“In previous budgets social welfare rates have been cut repeatedly, the household benefits package has been reduced, and a prescription levy imposed on medical card holders.”

“Any further cuts to social welfare in this budget must be absolutely opposed. In particular, to cut Children’s’ Allowance as suggested would reduce the incomes of tens of thousands of families who are already struggling to make ends meet.”

“There are alternative ways of raising money and finding savings, as Sinn Féin has outlined in its pre-budget submission.”

Sinn Féin councillor Mick Nugent said last night that Cork City Council should enter discussions with NAMA to see if there were suitable properties in the city which could be taken over for social housing.

He was speaking after a Sinn Féin motion on the issue was forwarded to the housing committee for consideration.

Cllr Nugent said:

“With over 9,000 people on the housing list in Cork, we urgently need new ideas to tackle the housing crisis.”

“If NAMA has properties in Cork City which are lying idle, the council should work to identify if any of these would be suitable for social housing.”

“While NAMA as it is currently set up is tasked with making a financial return on the sale of these properties, given the depressed state of the property market it might be happy for the council to take a tranche of houses off its hands at a relatively low price.”

“Nothing is to be lost by entering a discussion, and I am pleased to hear from the Manager tonight that he is open to the idea.”

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Cork Sinn Féin are to mark the first anniversary of the EU/IMF intervention by holding a protest this Saturday against the continued handover of taxpayers’ money to international bondholders.

Speaking ahead of the event, Cllr Chris O’Leary said:

“This week marks the first anniversary of the intervention by the EU and IMF in Ireland’s affairs last November. Since then we have had a general election, but the new government has failed to renegotiate the bailout deal and instead followed the failed Fianna Fail policies of paying billions into the banks while imposing cutbacks on lower and middle-income earners.”

“Unemployment is higher today than it was last November, a further 40,000 of our young people have emigrated, and there is no sign of a return to economic growth.”

“While ordinary taxpayers are squeezed, the government has been paying out billions to bondholders in the now-defunct Anglo-Irish Bank. Following the handover of €750 million a couple of weeks ago, there will be four more payments in January – one totalling €1.25 billion.”

“It is time to say enough is enough. On Saturday Sinn Féin will be holding a protest at Daunt Square, calling on the government to stop the handover of taxpayers’ money to international bondholders and to renegotiate the deal with the IMF. We invite members of the public to come along and join us.”

Note – the protest will commence at 1pm in Daunt Square on Saturday 26th November, and is part of a nationwide day of action being organised by Sinn Féin.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Sinn Féin TD Jonathan O’Brien has described reports that the government is considering a €10 cut in child benefit as deeply worrying, saying that if introduced it will lead to more children living in poverty.

Deputy O’Brien said:

“The suggestion that child benefit might be cut across the board by €10 is deeply worrying. While child benefit is a universal payment, a cut of this nature would disproportionately affect poor families with large households who are already struggling.”

“In 2009 over 40% of those living in consistent poverty were children. This measure would push even more children into poverty. It would pile more pressure on struggling families who have already been hard-hit by the Universal Service Charge, rising utility bills, and cuts in social welfare payments.”

“The Irish state provides among the lowest levels of support for childcare in Europe, and as a result we have some of the highest childcare costs. Child benefit should be retained at its current rate as a universal benefit. There are other ways of closing the deficit – taxing those like the 18,000 “high net worth individuals” in the state who can afford to pay more or cutting out state subsidies to private healthcare and education.”

Sinn Féin TD Jonathan O'Brien has said Cork City Council should review its letting policy. He was commenting in the wake of incidents of anti-social behaviour invovling two families at Mount St Joseph's Heights, Baker's Hill, at the weekend.

Deputy O'Brien said:

"A number of people have contacted my office as well as my colleague, Cllr Mick Nugent, to express their concern at the serious anti-social behaviour which occured in Mount St.Joseph's at the weekend. I have been in contact with Cork City Council and the local Gardai in relation to the matter and they have assured me they are making every effort to ensure the situation does not recur."

"While Cork City Council has been pro-active over the past number of years in taking steps to deal with anti-social behaviour by tenants, I believe it may now be time to go further and review letting policies."

"The council should give consideration to placing new tenants on short-term letting agreements or inserting a probationary clause under which a new letting agremeent would lapse if tenants were found to engage in anti-social behaviour within a certain period of the lease being signed. Once tenants had been in occupation for a period of time without disturbance, they could move to a longer-term lease."

"Measures such as these would potentially strengthen the council's hand considerably in dealing with problem tenants."

Councillor Chris O’Leary has called on Jerry Buttimer TD to make his position on the future of Cork Airport clear, saying holding a clinic on the issue last Monday was a diversionary tactic.

Cllr Chris O’Leary said:

“Jerry Buttimer and his party have repeatedly promised over the years that a Fine Gael government would ensure a debt-free, independent Cork Airport.”

“For example in April 2007 Jerry Buttimer stated publicly – and I quote – “"Fine Gael is committed to putting in place the financial structures to boost Cork Airport. In Government we will sit down with all the relevant stakeholders to develop a new financial package which solves the debt issue. We will not let debt drag down Cork airport.”

He also said: “Fine Gael has consistently opposed the Government's plan to leave Cork Airport with unsustainable debt. The airport has the potential to become an independent and financially viable airport in the interests of the Cork region, but not with such a crippling burden.”

Fast-forward to today and while the Review Group on State Assets and liabilities has recommended the privatisation of the airport and Booz and Company management consultants are preparing a report on its future, Jerry Buttimer was quoted last week as saying he had an “open mind” on its future.

Where are all the promises to stand up for Cork Airport now? Holding a special clinic on the issue and promising to pass on airport workers’ views to the Minister for Transport does not cut it. Jerry Buttimer should be insisting the government guarantee the future of Cork Airport as an independent, viable entity.”

“As a local TD, Jerry Buttimer should make his own position on the future of Cork Airport clear to constituents, and stop hiding behind a bogus consultation process.”

Cork City Council last night backed a Sinn Féin motion calling on the government not to hand over a further €1.25 billion in taxpayer’s money to unsecured bondholders in Anglo-Irish Bank in January.

Cllr Chris O’Leary said:

“I welcome the council’s support for this motion and its call on the government to cease handing over huge tranches of taxpayers’ money to unsecured, unguaranteed bondholders at the defunct Anglo-Irish bank.”

“Two weeks ago €700 million was handed over to another group of bondholders, and a series of further payments are scheduled for the next two months.”

“This is at a time when taxpayers and low-income families are being prepared for a budget that will impose nearly €4 billion in cuts.”

“The money which is currently being handed over to bondholders at Anglo would be far better used to invest in the country’s infrastructure or in a household stimulus package to help get the economy moving and create jobs.”

Friday, November 11, 2011

Sinn Féin councillor Chris O’Leary has called on the City Manager to make a full statement to the council regarding his officials’ dealings with celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin over the controversial Sky Garden project.

He was speaking after councillors received correspondence from Diarmuid Gavin and his design team requesting to address a full meeting of the council on the issue and suggesting that council officials sought to keep information out of the public domain.

Cllr O’Leary said:

“I am deeply concerned at this latest development.”

“It is clear from the correspondence I have received that council officials put pressure on Diarmuid Gavin and his design team to keep certain information about dealings between them out of the public domain.”

“What is it that officials are so anxious to hide from the public and their elected representatives?”

“Significant sums of the council’s money are at stake in this project at a time when the council is seriously under-funded and services are being cut back. If the manager wishes to retain the confidence of the public and elected representatives, he should now make a full statement to the council on the matter and put the history of Cork City Council’s dealings with Diarmuid Gavin into the public domain. If he is not willing to do this, then he should consider his position.”

Speaking in response to news that Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland do not intend to pass on the recent ECB interest rate reduction to their customers, Sinn Féin councillor Mick Nugent said the government must pass legislation to stop bailed-out banks exploiting their customers.

Cllr Nugent said:

“The news that Allied Irish Bank and Bank of Ireland do not intend to reduce interest rates in line with last week’s ECB reduction is devastating for mortgage holders and small businesses across the country.”

“These banks have been bailed out with billions of Euros of taxpayers’ money, yet they still insist on pursuing a policy of price-gouging at the expense of those same taxpayers.”

“Across the country hundreds of families are falling into serious mortgage distress every week. When in opposition Fine Gael and Labour criticised the failure of Fianna Fáil to take action to deal with the mortgage crisis. Now in office they are pursuing the same hands off minimalist approach as their predecessors.”

“With more than 100,000 families in mortgage distress it is time for the government to act. They must introduce legislation as a matter of urgency to force the banks to pass on ECB interest rate reductions to struggling home owners. Failure to do so will cause serious financial hardship for thousands of homeowners.

“It is time for the government to match their tough talking with tough action.”

Sinn Féin councillor Chris O’Leary has slammed the government’s announcement it plans to cut €700 million from social welfare spending in the budget, days after it handed over €715 million to unsecured bondholders at Anglo Irish Bank.

Cllr O’Leary said:

“There is a bitter irony in the fact that €700 million is to be cut from social welfare spending in the next budget, given that only last week the government paid an identical sum to unsecured bondholders at Anglo Irish Bank..“Some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society are to be targeted by the government in its effort to make savings, at the same time as wealthy investors abroad who gambled on the Irish property boom are being handed vast sums of taxpayers’ money.”

“There is further irony in the fact that the Department of Social Welfare is to take the lion’s share of cuts in current expenditure at a time of record unemployment and under a Labour minister.”

“The decision to target the Rent Supplement for substantial savings is particularly outrageous. Given that the government has failed utterly to provide for peoples’ social housing needs – there are 9,000 families waiting for housing in this city alone – an attack on rent supplement will mean a “double whammy” for people those unable to get a mortgage or afford the very high rents in the private sector. The result will be to deepen the housing crisis, forcing more people into sub-standard or over-crowded accommodation or onto the streets.”

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

O’Brien calls for increased commitment to community safety in rural areas

Speaking following reports that Justice Minister Alan Shatter intends to approve the closure of up to 200 rural garda stations, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Justice Jonathan O’Brien has called on the Minister to increase his commitment to community safety in rural areas and ensure that rural dwellers are provided with the policing services that they need.

The Cork North Central TD said;

“Wholesale closure of rural garda stations in order to respond to an economic crisis is not the way to ensure that rural dwellers have access to the policing services that they need.

“It has been reported that 200 out of the 700 garda stations across the state will be closed. I am seeking clarification from the Minister for Justice on his plans for the number and location of garda stations in Cork.

“As we have seen with the closures of rural post offices and other services, it is the people of rural communities who are losing out, and who will need to travel to the next town or village over should they have any business in a garda station. There is no clarity as to how this would work on an operational level. Rural communities deserve better than this.

“It is absolutely essential that the Minister for Justice considers the impact that station closures will have the lives of older, more vulnerable residents who are living in what are very often isolated areas. We are seeking increased garda visibility in these areas rather than a decrease. The recession has seen an increase in burglaries alongside proliferation of cash-for-gold shops. This is not the time to be considering closing garda stations when residents in rural areas may need them the most.”

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITOR:The following parliamentary question has been submitted to the Minister for Justice and Equality by Deputy Jonathan O’BrienTo ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to state his plans for Garda stations in Cork; his plans to amend opening times; his plans to protect rural residents and to make a statement on the matter

Speaking after last night’s council vote to extend a further €65,000 to Cork-Swansea Ferries, Sinn Féin councillor Mick Nugent said the company must present its business plan to the council and show how it intends to turn itself around.

Cllr Nugent said:

“It is plainly desirable to have a direct ferry from Cork, and the Cork-Swansea route has had 150,000 passengers since it re-opened. It is estimated that 100,000 of these may have been travellers from Britain to Ireland. There are obvious benefits for tourism in the Cork region.”

“It was for this reason the Sinn Féin councillors, with reservations, supported the vote last night. We also recognise that to vote against the proposal would have almost certainly meant the council’s existing €300,000 investment in Cork-Swansea being written off.”

“The company must now return to the council before the end of the examiner-ship with a detailed business plan for how it intends to turn itself around. Hopefully it will succeed in doing so and the council will be able to recoup the €300,00 already advanced.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Cork Sinn Féin activists will tomorrow protest outside the office of Jerry Buttimer TD to underline the party’s opposition to the handover of €700 million to unsecured bondholders at Anglo Irish Bank.

Cllr Chris O’Leary said:

“Tomorrow the government plans to pay out €700 million to unsecured bondholders at Anglo Irish Bank..“This is the first is a series of planned handovers of billions in taxpayers’ money. Next January a further €1.2 billion will be paid out. All this against the backdrop of an austerity budget that will take over €4 billion out of the economy and inflict hardship on children, on carers, on the disabled and on the working poor.”

“The government plans between €3.6 and €4 billion of cutbacks in the budget. Refusing to handover the €700 million scheduled today could mean no household charge. It could mean no welfare cuts. Instead of going out of the country the money could be used at home to help stimulate our economy”

“This is not money the Irish people borrowed. These billions are being paid to international bondholders who lent money to the now defunct Anglo-Irish Bank.”

“At 1pm tomorrow Cork Sinn Féin activists will protest against the handover of this money outside the office of Jerry Buttimer TD where Fine Gael Euro MEP Sean Kelly is holding a clinic. I am encouraging people to join us and make their voices heard. People power can stop this outrageous payout. I am asking the people of Cork to tell the government to ‘Stop the Handover’.